SITE OVERVIEW ♦ MINNEAPOLIS | MINNESOTA
Target Area: Little Earth of United Tribes • Population: 1,500
Fiscal Agent: Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office
Research Partner: Professors Shelly Schaefer and Sarah Greenman from Hamline University and Professor Roberta Gibbons from Metropolitan State University
Crime Concerns: Drug-related crimes, juvenile sex trafficking, and domestic violence
BCJI Funding Year: 2015 Planning | 2017 Implementation
Neighborhood Profile
Founded in 1793, Little Earth is comprised of three non-profit organizations which provide residents housing and culturally specific services for economic stability. Little Earth is the only Native-preference HUD-subsidized Section 8 housing community in the United States. More than 98 percent of the population is Native American, and half are under the age of 21.
Violent crime is a persistent reality within the community. Challenges include a recent explosion of heroin abuse, ongoing domestic violence, and an increasing recognition of the presence of sex trafficking of juveniles. From 2000 to 2014, Part I crimes in the City of Minneapolis dropped 16 percent, but only fell 6 percent in Little Earth, with an increase in narcotics offenses, among others. BCJI leaders hypothesize that there exists an entrenched, highly coordinated and largely invisible criminal network that has been operating at Little Earth for decades. Lack of trust of community members in law enforcement may also be a barrier to reducing crime.
Planning Process
Over the last decade, a strong working relationship has been forged between leadership figures in Little Earth, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Hennepin County and Minneapolis City Attorneys’ Offices. The BCJI project further cultivated these relations to address public safety issues in the community.
With the planning grant, BCJI partners pursued a comprehensive process that included a neighborhood assessment, ongoing community engagement using the Participatory Action Research Team (PAR-T) approach, and data analysis. Particular focus was given to developing culturally specific measures to reduce violence. The PAR-T reached out to residents to achieve a representative sample of the community, resulting in more than 304 completed surveys. The planning grant Research Team (RT) collected and analyzed crime data and data from the community survey, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) section 8 lease applications, LE dispatch data, and LE Youth Center.
Analysis shows that LE produces a disproportionate number of incidents and arrests within the study area: Despite representing only 18 percent of all possible addresses, LE accounts for 34 percent of all the incidents known to the police, particularly for trespassing, narcotics violations and child maltreatment. Findings from the community survey and PAR-T outreach show that LE suffers from low collective efficacy, high structural disadvantage and distrust in institutions.
Implementation Strategies
In fall 2017, the Madison project was awarded a BCJI implementation only grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The BCJI partners will pursue three overarching goals:
To increase collective efficacy and trust in law enforcement, the team will renovate the existing small gymnasium at Little Earth to create the Pendagayosh Community Space, implement a Peacemaker Program at LE, expand the existing Community Safety Champions Team, and coordinate a program between the MPD and the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice.
To address a lack of youth programming and youth exposure to crime, LE will hire a pathway advocate for youth success, research the causes of a drop-off in participation at the youth center of youth after age 12, and implement culturally sensitive youth programming from kindergarten to young adulthood.
Using prevention and aftercare services at Little Earth, the team will address alcohol and drug use in the community. LE will hire an aftercare consultant to create sustainable and evidence-based programs at LE, and two LE residents will be trained to be a certified prevention professionals.
Other Key Partners
Minneapolis Health Department, Minneapolis Police Department, the East Phillips Improvement Coalition, the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, the Indian Health Board, the Domestic Abuse Project, and the Minnesota Park Board
* The Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office was the fiscal agent for the 2015 planning grant to this site.
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